Think about it. You are in a jam. Your customer needs delivery of the product one week sooner than she originally requested, and you see no way to meet this new deadline. Your current team is working to capacity and you are already stretched and overcommitted.
Then you remember Alan. When you have needed a troubleshooter, or an extra pair of hands, Alan is your guy. He always delivers impeccable results on time, with superior quality. The few times he has not been able to keep his commitment, he calls immediately, apologizes, and offers alternatives. Moreover, he never says “yes” when he knows or fears that he won’t be able to complete the work. You never hear him say, “I’ll see what I can do,” or “I’ll try my best,” only to disappoint you with “Sorry, but I just couldn’t get around to it – too many things came up.” Alan is someone you can count on, someone you can trust.
Hoping that he has some availability, you call him, explain your predicament and ask if he can step in and help your team meet the new deadline. He agrees. You hang up the phone and breathe a big sigh of relief. You can now move onto the next project, confident that the new deadline will be met.
Trust produces freedom – freedom from worry, freedom from having to micromanage, the freedom to delegate, knowing that the work will meet your expectations, and the expectations of your customers.
Trust leads to efficiency. When you work with people you trust, there are fewer mistakes. The work proceeds smoothly, conflicts are resolved quickly, often leading to even better results and greater productivity.
Trust can be transformative. Working with people we trust enlivens us, motivates us. We are more satisfied with our work, and more satisfied people are more productive, and more creative.
While the key to trust is simple – commitments made and commitments honored – it takes time to build, and must be carefully cultivated. Leaders who understand the strategic value of trust put people and relationships at the center, and lead not by edict, but by their own example.
In the current business environment, the capacity to understand how trust is created, and how it can be restored, is one of the essential tools for creating successful organizations. It is simple to understand, but deceptively challenging to build. If you want to develop an organization that has real strategic advantage, pay attention to the “Alan’s” around you and create an environment where they can thrive. The next time you are in a jam, you will rest easier.
Contributed by guest blogger Terry Rosenberg, a colleague who has worked closely on numerous Strategic Commitment initiatives.
